>> Monday, August 2, 2010

You may have guessed with all those recap week posts that we were on vacation last week. If you did, you guessed correctly! Stephen and I joined his family on our annual trip to Wildwood Crest, NJ, and enjoyed a ton of sand, surf, and sun. We ate a lot, too -- but when we returned Saturday afternoon, I could only think of one thing: COOKING FOR MYSELF!

I'm not the best eater while on vacation. Especially in a town that's teeming with great Italian restaurants (and a lot of seafood restaurants where all I can order is grilled cheese from the children's menu). Yeah. While we were away, I ate mostly bread and cheese.

So, as a way to ween myself off this not-so great diet, I whipped up these protein-rich "around the world" black bean burgers.

Why the "around the world" part? The spices, as you'll see in a minute, are completely random. But they work well together. Who knew garam masala works well with black beans? Corn meal and sesame seeds? Why not?!

What you'll need . . .

1 can black beans

1/2 can garbanzo beans

1/2 can corn (low sodium)

1/2 small onion, diced

1 tablespoon sesame seeds

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 cup chopped pecans (or walnuts)

2 to 3 tablespoons cornmeal

Method . . .

Using a food processor, blend together the black beans and garbanzo beans. Then transfer to a large bowl.

Pour in all other ingredients and mix until well incorporated.

Shape into patties. Then, over medium-high heat, cook with a little olive oil until browned on both sides.

Serve with lettuce, mustard, melted pepper-jack cheese, and a whole wheat bun. Goes great with some beer and kale, too!

So, we're happy to be back. Stay tuned for pictures from vacation (to be posted later today). And if you haven't heard already: We want to share YOUR story for an upcoming week celebrating healthy living. No story is too insignificant or unimportant. Silly or boring. It's ALL good. All you need to do to be included is to email us (neverhomemaker [at] gmail [dot] com) what made you care about your health/fitness/nutrition.

Anything goes, really. And if you have a blog address, be sure to include that, too. A photo would also be fantastic (can be of anything related to what you write).

We've already received some WONDERFUL submissions . . . and we're excited to post them for you next week. (Wanna snag a copy of this poster for yourself? Check out this post with the link and printing instructions!)